That Look: A Choice of Subterfuge
by AhumbleHalofan
Summary: With the author Lord of the Land of Fire's permission I've written this little divergence from his original story. The story itself picks up right after chapter 42 of the original story. Instead of Anko wallowing in apparent self pity she takes a different approach.


**I of course have absolutely no rights to the Naruto universe. **

**With permission from the author Lord of the Land of Fire I was allowed to write this little spin off to Naruto and Anko's little tale. I don't expect many to really read this because I'm pretty sure most of my fellow fanfiction writers have kinda forgotten the story written by LOTLOF. **

**All credit goes to that man or woman for writing the original story. While his and my own writing styles are different I hope they both create enjoyment for our respective readers.**

**IF YOU HAVE NOT READ "THAT LOOK" STOP NOW AND READ THAT STORY. YOU WILL BE CONFUSED AS HELL IF YOU READ THIS WITHOUT THAT.**

* * *

Amongst mighty trees, showered in moon light, a purple haired woman crouched on a single think branch. Her sole duty to watch out for any sign of an enemy attack. She was impeded in this task as emotions fought a desperate war for dominance.

Anko's eyes burned as suppressed tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.

_You'r released._

That phrase repeated itself endlessly as she kept her watch. It left her feeling hollow and more alone than she had felt since her bastard of a teacher had abandoned her.

The one person, who's opinion she had grown to care about more than life itself, had just walked away. He hadn't even looked back as he strolled away. It was as if he were walking out of her life all together.

Fighting the damn urge to weep was proving more taxing than the actual watch itself. She kept telling herself, "_I'm on a mission, I can't afford to lose focus. __I'm a ninja, I'm better than this_."

If she told herself that enough she was certain to believe it, eventually. So far it hadn't been working.

More strength then she had thought possible was going toward **not** curling into a ball and crying her eyes out.

_Why do the one's I love hurt? Is this even love,_ she thought, in mental anguish.

_I'm a twenty-six year old Jounin and a fifteen-year old brat has brought me to this? _Her thoughts whorled about like a spinning top without an end in sight.

_ChiChi is me just as much as I am her! We both love you; you blonde idiot! Why can't you love me for who I am? I love you!_

The power of the last thought caught her off guard. It was a completely honest, true emotion. Whenever she thought of that little mischievous blonde a warmth pooled in the center of her belly. It wasn't the kind that came with lust. She was all too familiar with that, to get it mixed up.

She, the sadistic snake whore of Konoha, was in full blown love with that fifteen-year old blonde demon container.

_Why do I let him make me feel like this? Why the hell couldn't he have just forgotten that stupid bet and acted like any normal horny teenager? But, then he wouldn't be Naruto would he? The one person to want to marry me and stand on a pedestal for everyone to see._

A snort of derision escaped her nostrils at the blonde's only possible motivation.

"You want to make an honest woman out of me," Anko muttered aloud. "Don't you?"

His, at times, nearly hopeless naivety was one of those traits she loved about him most. Only now all the idyllic images he had built of her as some bastion of celibacy had been striped away.

_Why couldn't you have just let how I get dango alone? We would have headed straight to your place and finally popped the cherry. I've wanted to do it since you got back. Everything has just gotten in the way._

She still remembered the entire stupid episode. Her head had been so consumed with finally having her all time favorite blonde to herself; she had opened her mouth and bellowed the truth.

_Didn't even think about it. Just completely spilt how I suck a little face to score some dango. I should have just kept it to myself._

The memory of the entire break down was one of the worst she contained. Those judging eyes condemning her even before she could defend herself were the worst. What he said put his accusing eyes to shame.

"Even if you were sucking his mouth instead of his dick doing it just to doing it just to get some free food makes you a whore in my book."

Her body shuddered as the verbal punch continued across her mind.

"Whether you like it or not Anko I'm calling you a whore because that's what you are."

Again he had called her a whore and she nearly broke at the word. This was the one person she believed would never truly judge her; that would accept her for everything that she was. He had disappointed her just as much as she had disappointed him.

The anger, saddness, fear, and self loathing warred within her soul. All of them fought against her veteran mind, trying to have themselves expressed.

A hollow grew in her gut as her emotions raged. It was an all too familiar sensation. Desperate loneliness was creeping itself further into her turbulent mind. The same kind of desperation that precipitated a trip to the nearest open bar and another's bed.

Where she was now, made her usual remedy impractical if not outright impossible. Even if she was in Konoha, Naruto was back and she wanted him. She wanted that blonde bundle of laughs right at the moment above all others.

_I don't know what to do, _she thought desperately.

Their entire relationship felt like it had just received a brutal mauling at the hands of a feral animal.

The void within her was growing unchecked. Its gaping maw threatened to totally unmake her. She needed something to steel her mind from such thoughts.

Taking a delicate hand and shoving it into her mouth she chomped down as hard as she could. The taste of copper washed over her mouth coating her tongue as blood oozed out.

Pain was good. It sharpened her mind and drew away some of the hurt.

_I have to talk to Naruto. If we just talk a little I'm certain I can straighten this out. But I can't because I'm here and that idiot probably wouldn't listen to me in the first place._

Slowly an idea began to form. It probably wouldn't work, but what else could she do?

_It's not like I could make things any worse then they already are._

* * *

Naruto or more precisely a shadow clone of Naruto found himself concealed in the thick branches of a tree.

It was some of the dullest kind of work Naruto could give himself. Sitting there on the watch for enemies was as about as exciting for him as watching paint dry.

Already the thick bark of the tree was well on the way of forcing him to scratch his backside. It was either that or let out a scream of boredom. Screaming would be more satisfying, but scratching would have to do.

"Naruto," came a feminine whisper.

Snapping his head up Naruto gazed about, frantically searching for the origin of the voice.

"Boo."

For all of him being a professional ninja he jumped so high he lost his footing and plummeted the ten meters to the ground below. Luckily he wasn't instantly dispelled as he land lightly on his feet.

"What the hell," he muttered darkly.

Looking above he saw the one face he had **no** interest in seeing at that moment. Light brown pupil-less eyes, below a mop of messy purple hair, starred back at him with a giant grin plastered across her face.

"What do you want, Anko-sensei?"

Naruto did his best to keep his voice as cool and calm as possible; even while his innards crawled about in confusion. Or at least something that might qualify as innards squirmed about. He was after all a clone.

_Do I even have guts?_

Shaking his head at the pointless question Naruto looked back up at the still grinning face of his teacher turned greatest disappointment, Anko.

"Scarred yea' there didn't I?"

He hopped his face was all the answer she needed. Talking to her, even as a clone, was painful right that moment.

"Fine," said Anko as she leapt down from his former perch.

"Is something wrong Anko?"

"Well," she began. "Yes and no."

Naruto's eyes narrowed in confusion. Was this the real Anko? Should he dispel himself and warn boss Naruto?

With an unseen hand he pulsed his chakra seeing if he was under some genjutsu. A knowing grin spread across her cheeks as she continued to look at him.

Deciding to trust his eyes only for the moment Naruto got out of his ready stance and simply starred at his teacher.

"You see, Gaki."

Naruto couldn't help, but narrow his eyes at the nickname.

"Everything's fine at the camp and at my spot. What's not alright is what's between us."

He honestly couldn't believe what he was hearing. Anko the ever mindful, fully focused on the mission, had just potentially given away his position to anyone who was watching, all for the sake of their relationship?

_Maybe she does care._

Shaking his head like a wet dog Naruto honestly couldn't trust himself to hope.

"Anko, now isn't the time for this. We can talk when this is all over. You do realize I'm a clone, right?"

He couldn't help, but ask. Just in case that last screw had finally loosened in her noggin.

"Oh course I do Ga...ki. You're talking to one as well." A look of smugness seemed to come over her features.

"Anko, this is quiet possibly the most crazy and insane thing you've ever done. Sending a clone to speak to another?"

"Well I couldn't just leave my post. That's a executable offense. You should know that, Gaki."

An unintentional frown spread across his lips at her point. It was perfectly true that leaving your post without reason was classified as severe dereliction of duty and had gotten more than one ninja to lose his head.

"Okay," he said putting as much coldness as he could into the word. "There's nothing to be said Anko. Just go back, dispel yourself or do whoever the hell you want."

"Whoever the hell I want, you say?" A frighting grin had spread across her features. The same evil grin that always promised pain.

Taking one threatening step forward Anko seemed to leer at Naruto. It was a look that made him feel like a small child again.

Straightening his spine he looked her dead in the eye, daring her to do her worst. Being a chunin now he wasn't going to be afraid of her any longer. She had lost that ability when she turned out to be a whore.

Suddenly, she was right there in front of him; face perfectly at eye level with his own. The pupil-less brown eyes took up his entire vision. Grasping hands were around his cloths and her mouth quickly enclosed his own.

A feeling of numb disbelief coursed throughout his body. Of all the things he expected from her, anything from a casual flick to his skull to a bone breaking kick, this was the least likely.

His mouth was partially open and Anko's tongue took full advantage. The kiss, quickly turning into sloppy desperation, snapped Naruto out of his stupor.

Shoving his hands as hard as he could into her shoulders he tried to force her to let go. Her thin fingers dug into his clothing with a frantic desperation that startled him. He wanted her to stop this unexpected kiss and turned his face to the side breaking her one sided war on his mouth.

The feeling of warm spittle being smeared across his cheek was the only thing he was aware of. Anko did not seem to realize her target had moved as her tongue continued to swirl across his cheek.

"Anko," said Naruto, feeling disturbed yet aroused. "Stop it."

An unknown force wrenched his very legs out from under him. His purple haired attacker never lost her grasp on his body. Even as he landed on the ground he could feel Anko moving.

He found himself with his back to the ground and a red faced Anko straddling his midriff. Her once steady brown eyes seemed to shimmer with unshod tears, bright red cheeks framed an eager smile.

"I don't think it would count if it were your clone," she whispered.

Slowly his borderline psycho teacher leaned down to his ear and in a tremulous voice, spoke.

"I love you, Naruto. No matter what else happens, just know that."

As she finished she moved her body from its wonderful position, standing completely straight. She disappeared in a giant puff of smoke.

* * *

What Naruto didn't know that night, as he sat up on the moss covered floor of the forest, was that he was the last clone for her to visit that night.

* * *

The sun had barely begun to rise before a tiny group of tents and blankets began to stir. Men and woman, dressed in various garbs awakened, stretching their arms yawning. In dark gray pants with a chunin vest over a plain shirt a blonde boy still snoozed on a high tree branch.

As soon as Anko had come to relieve him and they'd had another argument, Naruto had come back with his mind racing. He hadn't payed attention to anyones attempt to be social with him and had leapt up to his tree branch and stewed there in his emotional mess.

Only a few hours ago was he finally able to calm his angry thoughts enough to sleep. What little he had managed was fitful and filled with his teachers mischievous smiles.

_Anko._

Violently he shook his head. That...person was one of the very last he wanted to think about at that moment.

_I can't be thinking about her right now,_ he thought.

He was on a mission and dwelling on his dreams of married life with his one love and the fact that they had been crushed utterly, would not help.

Sitting up from his barely tolerable position on the tree branch he stretched, his whole body aching. It wasn't because of his less than comfortable sleeping spot. Instead whenever he thought about his destroyed promise his entire body seemed to ache.

It seemed to ache since his confrontation with Anko. When he finally called her what she was, a whore.

As his joints gave satisfying pops he pushed his legs over the side of branch. Without bothering to look out into the void below, he allowed himself to drop. Using chakra the impact, which should have shattered his ankles, felt like stepping onto fluffy pillows.

Feeling a hollowness grumble in his belly, he pulled a shiny object out of his pocket. Unwrapping it quickly he couldn't help, but frown at the smell.

_Can't they give us better smelling food? This smells like rotten tofu._

Deciding it was better to eat then go hungry he bit into the offical ninja travel rations. I had the texture of wet paper and tasted about the same.

Munching on his unfortunate meal, Naruto ambled over to a clearly awake Tsunade.

"Hey Granny," he said, smiling more in habit then actual happiness. "How much further do you think it is to Rain Country?"

The scowl she gave him at his granny comment didn't phase him in the slightest. She was old and it wasn't a big deal.

Tsunade gave a huff of irritation. "We'll be crossing the border today. Recall your clones. We're ready to leave."

"Can do granny!"

Bringing his hands together Naruto concentrated pulsing his chakra, dispelling every clone he created. A torrent of images and flooded his mind as each one was dispersed.

With a gasp of air each of his clones had a memory of words and sensations that made him feel like he had just been sucker punched. Each of them remembered Anko coming to them in the night, whispering love in their ears with kisses to match.

The entire flood of memories made him feel as if he was be kissed by Anko dozens of times over. Her softly spoken words of love seemed to be said more times then he could count. Each confession sounding more sincere and desperate then the last.

"Naruto what's wrong," questioned a worried Tsunade.

"Nothing," he said his voice slightly strangled to form words. "Just a few deer going at it. Not something I wanted to see." He said the last bit with a chuckle.

The frown on Tsunade's lips said she didn't believe him completely, but she nodded her head and turned around to speak with a waiting Shikamaru.

Quickly Naruto spun about looking for the obvious purple hair of his former fiance. He spotted her a little ways away crouching down, starring at ground with unfocused eyes.

_Was she just starring at me?_

He couldn't help, but let his gaze linger on her. Thinking about her was confusing right now. He wanted to be angry at her; he could still feel the hurt. Now these new memories of Anko kissing him, of her whispering she loved him.

If it had only been one memory he could have just pushed it to the back of his head. Now there were dozens of them. Each of them different and yet the same. The memory of her face and the sound of her voice brought back those old feelings for her.

His anger and hurt still simmered just beneath the surface, but now they seemed covered by these more pleasant memories.

"Hey Naruto," came the distant voice of Shikamaru. "We're ready to leave."

This snapped Naruto out of his circling thoughts and put him back on track. They had a mission and he could deal with her later.

Turning away from Anko he never saw the slight smile that graced her lips.

* * *

**Here's the end of this first part of the one shot. I suppose you could call this a two shot really. Anyway hope my fellow "That Look" fans enjoyed this. Here's hopping that "Lord of the Land of Fire" finishes the story...some day in the distant future.**


End file.
